Why Visit the West Coast Beaches?

The west coast beaches of Sri Lanka cover the region from the capital Colombo south towards the charming colonial town Galle. This was one of the first areas to be developed when tourism in Sri Lanka was in the 1970s, and several famous resort towns and hotels follow the sands along the way.

Wadduwa is the first significant beach resort as you head down the coastal road. The next along is Kalutara. The road through is dominated by a magnificent Buddhist temple, with several package style resorts along this stretch.

One of the central west coast beach resort areas is Bentota. The proximity of a large lagoon and a wide sandy beach means that Bentota is the home of water sports in Sri Lanka – with everything from diving to kiteboarding to jet-skiing available here. You'll also find many restaurants, bars and top-class hotels in this area.

There are several 5* hotels along this part of the coast, catering to the package holiday market. Towards the southern end of Bentota and inland a little are several quiet and peaceful small boutique hotels.

Ambalangoda is the mask-making centre of the island and an exciting visit, and Ahungala is pleasant, but the next major hotel concentration is Hikkaduwa. Famous for its lively nightlife, Hikkaduwa also has some of the best restaurants outside of Colombo.

Further south from Hikkaduwa is Dodanduwa and the wonderful beachside resort of Aditya.  Aditya is a 20-minute drive from Galle and 15 minutes from Hikkaduwa.